Disclaimer: I only wish Voyager was mine, but Paramount owns them and it is our duty to speculate what they don't see fit to reveal in the series, and are too lazy to make a movie. If only they would see it our way...
Hey, sorry for taking so long, I just got back from a three-day backpacking trip south. I hadheaps of fun, and will probably take ages to upload anything because of the milions of assignments I have to write in the next month! I'll try to update soon. Beware, this story is drawing to an end, but the sequel is being written...
Banned From Coffee Chapter 21 - Baby Shower
The doors to the Holodeck opened, revealing a very familiar place to Kathryn Janeway.
"Oh... My... God..." she breathed, taking in the landscape in front of her. "This is my childhood home, in Indiana."
Chakotay turned to look at his wife, holding his son in his arms lovingly. "Kathryn, you mean, this is your home?"
Before she could respond, a rustle of the grass and shrubbery behind them revealed the guests of the party.
"SURPRISE!" the yelled, coming out of their hiding places to greet the guests of honour.
Tom Paris, B'Elanna Torres and Harry Kim pushed their way through to the front, ready to greet the happy family.
The six-month-pregnant form of the chief engineer had her arms held wide open, a gesture of welcome towards the new family.
"Welcome, Kathryn, Chakotay, to Indiana, where your children will have their very first party at only a few hours old!"
Kathryn and Chakotay shared a look between them, before looking towards their twins and the assembled guests.
They, in return, received expectant looks, wanting to be introduced to Voyager's newest crewmembers.
Taking the hint, the Janeway family stepped forward, the children waking up in time to have their first glance at the senior staff and the current off duty crew, most of which were to become unofficial babysitters in the near future.
"Everyone, at 1550 today, my children decided they wanted to see the world, the world in which we live. First, being the dominant, stubborn child, Natalie Amanda Janeway was born, and here she is." Raising the child in her arms to the crowd, Allie opened her eyes, waved her tiny hands out of her pink blanket and wailed her tiny lungs out.
Everyone cheered, applauding the older twin's stubborness and her will to be the dominant twin.
"Three cheers for Allie!" called Chakotay, revealing his daughter's nickname.
Shouts of 'hip hip hooray' echoed around them, the loudest voice belonging to playmaster Tom Paris.
As the cheers died down, Chakotay stepped forward, the tiny blue bundle in his arms squirming at all the noise.
"Shortly after the birth of Natalie, her twin brother decided to be very stubborn, the trait which both have inherited from their mother," he trailed off, giving a loving look to his wife and hearing a chuckle ripple through the crowd. "And decided to be born breach, coming out feet first. Before he could stop himself, Medic Paris announced two things in front of us. 1 - and I quote - 'Number one. You just revealed the sex of my baby. Number two, you discussed his problems with my husband, in front of me, without including me in the conversation.'"
Chakotay stopped, letting everyone have another chance to laugh at the helmsman's predicament.
"After complications arose in his birth, our son was delivered by foetal transport. When it was discovered he was the shadow twin, the one hiding directly behind Allie, the Doc knew he would be slightly underdeveloped." A slight gasp overcame the crowd, minus the senior officers in front of them, all of which knew that if one child was sick, the party would not be happening at this point in time. "But, with only a slightly underdeveloped heart and lungs, I would like to present Andrew Edward Janeway!"
Another exuberant round of cheers echoed the now-full holodeck, the gentle simulated breeze taking the edge off the warm Indiana weather.
After the cheers had died down, and the shouts of hip hip hooray, again led by Tom Paris, B'Elanna stepped up to the front of the crowd.
"Everyone," she said, gaining the well respected attention she had come to deserve. "We gather here today to welcome the Captain and Commander's children to our loving, slowly expanding crew. The way we are going, if we don't find any shortcuts home, this second generation will be the commanding officers of our homecoming. Allie and Andrew are the first of hopefully many children from these two loving parents, who always have and always will deserve the respect and admiration we have to offer."
Behind her, Kathryn Janeway was silently tearing up, finally letting her emotions show to the crew she had also come to love. Hugging her best friend with one arm, she whispered a very quiet thanks into the pregnant woman's ear.
Chakotay stepped up to address the crowd again. "Another reason we have called you all here todya is to announce the godparents of our children. This couple have not only successfully raised their own daughter, but have a second child on the way. They have proved to be loyal friends and colleagues through thick and thin, each keeping the ship together in theor own, unique and loving ways."
Directly looking at the Paris-Torres family, the crew geared up for another cheer as they stepped up next to the new family.
"Tom, B'Elanna, ever since you two joined our crew all those years ago, although we haven't always seen eye-to-eye on every little matter, you two have stuck by us every time. It is your loving, caring nature and friendship we love and respect, and would be honoured if you would be Allie and Andrew's godparents."
Kathryn brought the official request upon the couple, and wasn't surprised when B'Elanna herself started crying, accepting the 'position' of godmother by hugging her best friend, each crying into the other's shoulder.
The party continued well into the night, not stopping until Tuvok officially called the holodeck with noise complaints at 2300 hours the next morining.
Gently migrating back to their individual quarters, Kathryn, B'Elanna, Chakotay, Tom, Miral and the twins walked side by side, the children asleep in their parents arms.
Reaching the officer's deck, the two families quietly entered their individual quarters, which happened to be opposite from eachother, saying goodnight as they went. It had been a long party and tiring night, so only the chief engineer and chief pilot had been granted time off for the next shift, unless they were desperately needed.
Stepping into sensor range of the doors to their quarters, B'Elanna turned around to face her friend and mentor across the hall. "Kathryn," she called, just before she entered her own quarters. "Thanks," she simply said.
Aknowledging the statement with a warm smile and quick nod of the head, Kathryn was silently thankful this woman was her best friend. As the doors clesed behind her, hiding the toy-covered floor of the Paris living area.
"Kathryn."
The whispered call brought the exhausted woman out of her reverie, making her head towards the spacious nursery where she would put her son to sleep. Heading towards the room where her husband stood, Kathryn thought back to the twins' birth only hours beforehand. A month of parental leave would leave her bored stiff, but would allow the pair precious parents time alone with their new children.
Recieving a quick kiss from her husband, Janeway gave each twin a loving peck on the forehead before taking Chakotay's hand and leading him to their bedroom for a decent night's sleep, hopefully.
